(The Post News)– On Friday, the United States’ secretary, Marco Rubio, declared that the South African ambassador to the U.S., Ebrahim Rasool, is “no longer welcome” to their country. This comes after a series of a racially charged feud between SA and the U.S. rooted in Afriforum’s conspiracy theories of “genocide” against white South African farmers.
In a social media post, Rubio said that South Africa’s ambassador to the United States is no longer welcome in their “great country,” stating that they have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered “persona non grata.” Moreover, the decision was also a response to Rasool’s criticism of Trump’s administration after he was quoted stating that the supremacist assault on incumbency is exposed in the democratic politics of the U.S.
Rasool also described the “Make America Great Again” movement as a response to data that shows a great demographic shift in the U.S. in which the voting electorate is projected to become 48% white and that the possible majority of minorities is looming on the horizon.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Rasool was denied an opportunity to speak with officials at the U.S. State Department, as well as with high-level Republicans, ever since Trump was inaugurated.
South Africa’s presidency has issued a statement condemning Rubio’s decision as regrettable and also urged all relevant and impacted stakeholders to maintain the established diplomatic decorum on their engagement with the matter. The presidency said that it “remains committed to building a mutually beneficial relationship with the United States of America.”
Spokesperson for South Africa’s Department of International Relations, Chrispin Phiri, said that the government will engage with America through the diplomatic channels. The South African Embassy in Washington has not yet responded to Rubio’s social media post.
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